Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper, Surge and Winter Preparedness in Health and Social Care Services National Planning Priorities and Principles, which was published in November 2025, how national planning priorities and principles will address corridor care by NHS Scotland in winter 2025-26.
The National Planning Priorities and Principles require local systems to maximise system capacity and capability by improving patient flow and access, reducing delayed discharges and long waits, and minimising unmet need. This includes strengthening urgent and unscheduled care pathways and ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place at the right time.
The Scottish Government recognises this as a critical issue for patient safety and dignity. Measures include integrated planning, additional surge beds, Hospital at Home expansion to 2,000 beds, escalation frameworks an investment of £20 million to increase social care capacity and strengthen support at emergency department front doors. These measures are designed to reduce pressure on emergency departments and hospital capacity, thereby minimising the circumstances that can lead to corridor care. Health Boards are expected to use data and intelligence to support real-time decisions during periods of surge.
These actions are underpinned by the Operational Improvement Plan and overseen nationally through the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group, ensuring accountability and consistency across Scotland.